New York Knicks amateur scout and former NBA point guard Tim Hardaway Sr. said his son, NBA small forward Tim Hardaway Jr., didn’t know the reason behind his benching as part of the Dallas Mavericks for the 2023-24 NBA season. Hardaway Sr. also said that the Mavericks didn’t have the dignity to tell his son, Hardaway Jr., why he was benched.
It was obvious the Mavericks missed something from the 2024 NBA Finals, and the Mavericks’ flaws were exposed as the Boston Celtics dispatched them in five games. The Mavericks’ hope of addressing the missing puzzle piece was acquiring veteran Shooting Guard Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors, but that might not be it.
The Mavericks had Hardaway Jr., who might’ve been able to pick up some of the slack off of star duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but they traded him and three future second-round draft picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Shooting Guard Quentin Grimes. Read on for more details.
Tim Hardaway Sr.’s Claims
Tim Hardaway Sr. recently appeared on the “All the Smoke” podcast to set the record straight about Tim Hardaway Jr’s tumultuous five-year tenure with the Dallas Mavericks from 2019 to 2024. Hardaway Sr. said on the podcast, “As a pops (father), it is tough knowing your son’s supposed to be out there, and he knowing that he can help the team win, but for some reason, Jason Kidd and Nico (Harrison) are not telling nobody what’s the deal.”
Hardaway Sr.’s claims about Hardaway Jr. are arguably reasonable, as most other fathers would worry about their sons’ benchings, contracts, signings, etc. Hardaway Jr. had concerning shooting slumps with the Mavericks, but he deserves to know the reasoning behind the team’s actions surrounding him.
Hardaway Jr.’s Lack Of Playing Time
Tim Hardaway Jr.’s lack of playing time was concerning but swept under the rug and brushed off as a poor shooting stretch. Hardaway Jr.’s same shooting percentage of 35% in the NBA playoffs as in the NBA regular season could’ve sparked a scoring spark for the Mavericks, who desperately needed a said spark off the bench.
Hardaway Sr. commented on Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd, “I played with you on the 2000 Olympic team, we got gold together … We are all in this fraternity together, and you don’t have the dignity to go to my son and say this is x, y, and z; this is why I’m not playing you.”
The Mavericks’ decision might’ve been justified in their minds, but they won games, and advanced to the NBA Finals. They quickly lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. Hardaway Jr. could’ve helped the Mavericks score a bit more.
Hardaway Jr.’s Next Chapter
After all of the chaos, Tim Hardaway Jr. moved on from the Dallas Mavericks and joined the Detroit Pistons ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. Hardaway Jr. shouldn’t have had to be concerned about little to no contribution and should’ve had the chance to put more focus into a deep playoff run.
Tim Hardaway Sr. said on the podcast episode, “When they are talking about my son not playing and coming in and not shooting the ball well, first of all, you have to get the ball. It’s up to Luka (Doncic) because Luka runs the whole show there. I was there talking to him, I was there consoling him, I was there just like a father is supposed to be and making him understand it’s going to be alright. There are better days to come.” Hardaway Sr. made a good point about Doncic running the show in Dallas. Both parties have gone their separate ways as they gear up for another NBA season.
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